Western’s pitching staff has played its own version of musical chairs the past few weeks.

The Toppers (30-12, 16-5 Sun Belt Conference) won their 12th consecutive home series by taking two games from Florida Atlantic this weekend.

An RBI single from senior shortstop Terrence Dayleg gave Western a walk-off 4-3 win on Sunday.

The single scored senior left fielder Matt Hightower, who pitched 6.2 innings in Friday’s 3-1 loss.

“I just try to contribute any way I can,” Hightower said. “Obviously, things didn’t go as well as they could have on Friday, but as long as we get the series, that’s all that matters.”

Hightower pitched his third Friday night game of the season after pitching the season’s first six Saturday games.

Coach Chris Finwood gave junior pitcher Matt Ridings the chance to become the Friday starter this season after going 10-3 with a team-best 3.88 ERA in 16 appearances in 2008, mostly pitching on Saturdays, but moved him back to Saturday starts before the April 10-12 home series with New Orleans.

Ridings went 4-0 in six Friday appearances before pitching the last two innings of Western’s 10-9 win at Kentucky on April 8, earning his second career save.

“That happened to be on a Wednesday, and I couldn’t have come back to throw on Friday,” Ridings said. “They moved me back to Saturday, and Hightower’s throwing really well, so it just happened to work out both ways for us.”

Ridings has a 2-1 record since making the switch back to Saturday starts.

He earned a save on April 22 against Eastern Kentucky, then struck out three batters in seven innings in Saturday’s 8-3 win.

“My mindset – it stays the same, whether it’s Friday, Saturday, or coming to relieve,” he said. “The only difference is getting an extra day to see the hitters. If I pitch on Saturday, I get to watch the hitters hit three or four times on Friday, and I try to use that to help me out.”

Hightower is now 5-1 on the season and 1-1 since becoming the Friday night starter.

He has a 3.04 earned run average, second-best in the SBC, and also has a .310 batting average, having started 28 games in left field.

Finwood said that both Ridings and Hightower have provided invaluable contributions to the Toppers this season.

“The ability to come in and pitch on whatever day we need them to – that’s huge for us,” Finwood said. “Both of those guys, I have all the confidence in the world sending them out to pitch against anybody we face.”

Hightower pitched a complete game in his first Friday start of the season, allowing five hits and one run and striking out 13 batters against New Orleans on April 10.

“It really doesn’t make a difference to me, Friday or Saturday,” he said. “It’s baseball. I just go out there and try to throw as many strikes as I can.”

Western returns to action at 6 tonight against Austin Peay at Denes Field.